Sage advice from a professional foodie

Here at Prevention, we love a recipe that's both delicious and chock full of high-quality, local ingredients. And over on EatLiveRun.com, the popular food blog run by trained chef Jenna Weber and author of the newly published White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story (Sterling Epicure, September 2012), there's never a short supply of them.

At first, Eat, Live, Run was a place for Weber, 27, to share her passion for food and experiences as a student at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando. But as time went on—and as her readers grew from more than just her mom and dad—it became a blog for what Weber says is her niche: tasty, family-friendly recipes.

Here, we catch up with Weber to talk about her new book, the kitchen appliance every woman needs, and recipes for her favorite fall foods.

Prevention: What inspired you to write White Jacket Required?

Weber: I've always wanted to write a book about food. I figured culinary school was the best place to start, so I started Eat, Live, Run to write about my experiences, hoping one day I'd turn it into something more. After I was given the opportunity to write the book, I couldn't wait to dive in.

What's one kitchen appliance you believe should be in every woman's kitchen?

A KitchenAid mixer, or food processor. Plus, a really great set of knives. I only got my mixer a couple years ago, and while a spoon and bowl work fine, I can't imagine being without one now that I have it. It's great for meringue, tapas, and even hummus. [We do love us a good appliance. Check out 17 Double-Duty Kitchen Gadgets That Help You Lose.]

With so much of your time being spent in the kitchen, how do you stay fit?

The 'run' part of my blog used to literally mean running, but now it just means being active and taking life head-on. I love getting out of the house a few times a week to do yoga. Some people say yoga isn't really an exercise; I say, 'You're not doing the right kind of yoga.' [It's true! See how yoga fixes everything.]

Any advice for aspiring food writers?

It takes a long time of being really dedicated, publishing great content and photos to gain readership, investing in a domain name, and additional research to make your blog a business.

What's your favorite thing to bake?

I love baking bread. After culinary school, I got my first job at a bakery and would go into work at 3 am. It didn't last very long, because I realized what I really wanted to do was write. Life is too short and, if you don't love your job or aren't 100% happy in your relationships, you have to go for what you love.